Planning a wedding in Samoa

Hi

I am in the process of trying to find the right place for our wedding in July 2010. We are taking about 20 people with us so I have been looking at Sa'Moana Resort as we can book out the whole place to ourselves for a week. It seams nice enough, and I don't think we can afford Salani Surf Resort which looks very nice.

Has anyone stayed at Sa'Moana Resort? How is the food? Is it too far away from other restaurants and bars? We don't want to be in the middle of a Nightclub strip, but it would be great to walk down the road to a few nice restaurants.

Some other questions...

• Whats the best restaurant in Samoa? I want to treat everyone to a special night out.
• Whats the best spa? (for the girls before the big day)
• I hear there is great surf - but big!!! is there surf for beginners?

I'm asking a lot!! Thanks for your help :)
Nic

Edited by: collisionlab

When you say "... middle of a Nightclub strip... " and "...walk down the road to a few nice restaurants ..." it both indicates that you have in mind places like the Gold Coast in Australia or maybe Waikiki Beach in Hawaii.

Nothing could be more different than what you would find in Samoa. There is no nightclub strip at all and the one and only road with a few restaurants would be Beach Road in Central Apia (the Capital of Samoa, approx. 30,000 people living in Apia ...). No beach around in Apia though.

Sa Moana is a good place - but it is all by itself on a nice beach and 15 miles away from Apia and at least 5 miles away from the next restaurants (Coconutsbeach or Sinalei Resorts).

But when you plan a big thing like that with more than 20 people going somewhere overseas I strongly suggest that you invest at least into a budget flight ticket and just go to the island you have in mind.

For Samoa a stay of a day or two only would let you know everything you want to find out already. And regarding the quite unrealistic basic idea you seem to have about Samoa it would certainly be the best thing to do. You might find it completely not what you are looking for or you might find that a combination of Sa Moana, Coconutsbeach and maybe Sinalei would be a very nice setting for you big day. Or Aggie Grey's Beach Resort &Spa alone. Or even a hotel in Apia at Beach Road ...

But you would have to see all that yourself before you decide where to go and if to go to Samoa at all.

Hi, thanks for the reply.

Very glad to hear there is no nightclub strip. I am definitely trying to avoid the Gold Coast scenario. ;)

Last year we went to Gili Trawangan in Indonesia and we absolutely loved it. It was quiet and secluded but you could walk about half a mile and there were some restaurants on a little strip. So I am trying to find a similar set-up somewhere in the pacific. We had a preference for Samoa as we know Samoans here in Australian, but it may not exist.

Sound like the resort may be a little too far away. I would love to do a flight over but we are on a tight budget. hmmm what to do...

thanks again for the info.

You cannot compare Samoa to that at all. Samoa is 500 times bigger and still there might be more hotels, restaurants and tourists on tiny Gil Trawangan. Tourist facilities are rare and isolated in Samoa, very different from what you experienced on that island in Indonesia.

Samoa is a nice place but to avoid disappointment you should really be sure about what you will find here. Even with a tight budget it seems to be a very useful investment to me. They sometimes have very cheap fares to Apia on PolynesianBlue - you still have time and, as I said, a day or two here would let you know all you need and maybe even make some arrangements.

spa?? i don't remember a spa in Samoa. i don't remember it as being that kind of destination.

Then you were looking at the wrong places.
There are at least three of them at resorts:

1. Aggie Grey's Beach Resort & Spa
2. Sinalei Reef Resort & Spa
3. Coconutsbeachresort & Spa

and another one right in Apia:

1. Le Spa Lelalelei o Samoa

All very experienced professional services.

I am seeing more and more of these kind of posts on here...

A post just last year was really convoluted.... Someone wanted to get married here, have a combination of high end resort, but a hippy reception on the beach and wondered if the local village had bars, restaurants and, if you can believe it, a catering company!!

We never did hear back on how they made out...

wksamoa is SO right... You need to come over here and check things out lest you have a major disaster when all of you arrive here and you realize, away from the few high end resorts, that Samoa is still pretty rustic and primative in terms of tourist facilities and spas, restaurants, bars, nightlife are spread far and thin.

If I may be as bold as to suggest looking at somewhere else in the S. Pacific that is WAY more set up for your needs... I am thinking Rarotonga in the Cook Islands or Fiji.